Absolute Choice

Amid the azure halo, Heartless looked like an immortal that had descended.

“My master is Jian Xilai of the Kun Peng Sword Sect. With a single Kun Peng Sword Technique, he has dominated the world with his sword. He has been a God of Swords for decades and he has yet to be defeated! My sister and I have been cultivating in the Kun Peng Sword Technique since we were young. I’m said to be a sword prodigy, and I have gained insights into the lower form of the Kun Peng. My sister is slightly better, gaining insights into the middle form of the Kun Peng! With just the lower form of the Kun Peng, among my peers, I have only lost to my sister!”

When Heartless said this, he suddenly slashed towards his side. An azure sword beam flew out immediately, turning into sword-shaped water wave. The water wave suddenly froze into a frost icicle before shattering, turning into bits and pieces of snowflakes. As the snowflakes descended, each of them contained immense sword intent. They carved streaks into the ground when they landed.

The sword beam condensed into water, water froze into frost, frost shattered into snow, snow fell as swords!

The weird multi-fold changes all happened in an instant, but it was a coherent and complete picture. It was hard to discern with the naked eye. It felt that every transformation of the sword beam contained a different sword intent, and each level of sword intent seemed to contain nomological sword truths!

“This is the lower form of the Kun Peng—The northern darkness has Kun, waters stir at a flick of its tail!”

Heartless looked at Shi Xiaobai and said, “You shall be defeated by this sword attack!”

You shall be defeated by this sword attack!

This sounded so extremely domineering that it could not be contained!

Shi Xiaobai gaped slightly, but he was not astounded. Instead, he was amazed—Holy shit, Kun Peng Sword Technique was this awesome?

Shi Xiaobai had gained insights into the upper form of the Kun Peng from the mantra and had even cultivated it to the Familiarized Proficiency realm, but he did not find it particularly powerful. He felt that compared to the silver-armored blond woman he saw in his mind that slashed out golden sword beams that filled the world, it was just too weak.

But at this moment, Heartless had touted the Kun Peng Sword Technique as though it was nearly ascending the heavens!

“Did This King do it wrongly?”

Shi Xiaobai began to wonder.

The lower form of the Kun Peng that Heartless used was something Shi Xiaobai had observed several times from Sunless. However, Sunless’ lower form of the Kun Peng was not as exquisite as Heartless’. She did not achieve the transformation of sword beams into the four states of water. All she produced was biting cold sword intent.

However, Sunless’ middle form of the Kun Peng was able to slash out stormy blade edges, with sword energies transforming into wind that blustered forward, as though thousands of fine sword beams were simultaneously slashed out.

From Shi Xiaobai’s observation, he believed that the lower form and middle form of the Kun Peng Sunless used was characterized by the power of low temperatures and sword-wind manifestation, making it completely counter to the upper form’s power of high temperatures and sword-fire manifestation.

But from the looks of it, that did not seem to be the only case?

Shi Xiaobai suddenly found something suspicious as his eyes gradually brightened.

“Sunless failed to attain the quintessence of the lower form of the Kun Peng!”

Shi Xiaobai came up with such a conclusion.

Sunless had focused on cultivating the middle form of the Kun Peng; hence, she was able to achieve sword-wind manifestation. Due to neglect in the lower form, she did not comprehend its essence!

As for Heartless, he was completely opposite. He was unable to comprehend the middle form, so he put all his effort in the lower form. Hence, he was able to achieve sword-water manifestation!

The northern darkness has Kun, waters stir at a flick of its tail!

It changes into Peng, winds arise at a flap of its wings!

This was the true essence of the Kun Peng Sword Technique. The Kun swam in water, so sword-water manifestation. The Peng flew amid the winds, so sword-wind manifestation!

If that was the case, the lower and middle form of the Kun Peng were the Kun Sword and the Peng Sword respectively. Combining the two together achieved the complete Kun Peng Sword!

But even so, what was the situation with the upper form?

Kun-Stewing Wok?

Two Peng Grills?

Compared to the stirring of water with a flick of the tail and the arising of winds at the flap of wings, the upper form did not resemble the Kun Peng Sword Technique at all. It appeared rather redundant, and seemed…

Shi Xiaobai suddenly thought of something as his eyes lit up!

He came to a possible realization!

Shi Xiaobai pondered over it quickly, and with his great imagination and ability to fill in the blanks, he took a few seconds to go from a simple discovery and hypothesis to an amazing possibility!

Shi Xiaobai raised his sword with his left hand. His eyes were like brilliant stars as a smile suffused across his lips.

Upon seeing this, Heartless felt a sense of foreboding. However, he did not speak any further and instead ran towards Shi Xiaobai with sword raised!

“Watch it!”

Heartless slashed out!

Vaporized water, gushing sword intent, freezing, shattering, falling. Snowflakes filled with sword beams began falling from above!

Shi Xiaobai looked calm. He did not show any intention of dodging. Instead, with sword in his left hand, he slashed out at the sword snowflakes that filled the sky!

This slash looked extremely casual, as though he had gently raised his sword to streak across the sky.

However, after slashing out, the snowflakes that filled the sky instantly melted and evaporated, turning into boiling bubbles that rose towards the sky!

Heartless immediately stared with widened eyes that were filled with incredulity!

The snowflakes were no ordinary snowflakes but sword energies that were biting cold. How could they be melted and evaporated into water vapor?

Shi Xiaobai’s grin broadened.

Heartless was alarmed as he immediately slashed out again!

This time, it was not the falling of snowflakes but azure water waves!

The Kun Sword had three forms—water wave, ice front, and snowflakes. This strike was the water wave!

But rather than calling it water wave, it might as well be called a tsunami in mid-air. The sword energies swept forward like a tsunami towards Shi Xiaobai, as though being inundated by the sword energies would cause one to be swallowed by the sword energies in the water wave!

The sword waves churned at an astonishing speed towards Shi Xiaobai, who remained calm. Once again, he casually struck.

With the slash, a transparent sword beam collided with the sword wave. The sound of water boiling immediately was heard as the azure sword tsunami immediately evaporated, turning into rising plumes of white mist.

Heartless drew a gasp and said in surprise, “What sword attack is this?”

What sword technique could instantly obliterate the Kun Peng Sword Technique’s sword intent, and evaporate all the sword beams?

Shi Xiaobai did not answer. This attack was of course, Kun-Stewing Wok. In the past, he would have said Kun Peng Sword Technique, but at this moment, he no longer thought so!

Be it the name ‘Kun-Stewing Wok’ or from its effects, it was clearly designed to counter the lower form sword of Kun Peng!

Water waves?

Ice front?

Snowflakes?

Who cares what waters you stir with a flick of your tail. They would all be evaporated as a result of high temperatures!

Of course, this so-called evaporation was not evaporation as described in Physics. The power of high temperatures was also not simply high temperatures, but they referred to the sword energy produced by Kun-Stewing Wok being able to ‘evaporate’ Kun Sword’s sword energies!

This was a very simple and crude counter. It was completely unreasonable!

Shi Xiaobai did not respond, but neither did Heartless ask any further. Heartless slashed out Kun Sword in silence once again, but this strike was easily dissipated by Shi Xiaobai.

However, Heartless did not stop. He continuously slashed Kun Sword!

He was carefully watching Shi Xiaobai’s sword techniques and sensing the sword intent in every strike so as to discover the secret of the attack!

Shi Xiaobai seemed to read Heartless’ mind. He matched his wishes by using Stewing Sword to extinguish Heartless’ sword energy.

After a long while, Heartless suddenly stared with widened eyes and said aghast, “This is…Kun Peng Sword Technique!?”